1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to instructional devices for beginning skiers. More particularly, some example embodiments relate to a tip connector device configured to connect the tips of two snow skis together.
2. Related Technology
Beginning snow skiers often have difficulty learning to keep the front tips of their skis together. Keeping the front tips together can be important to maintain control. For instance, if the front tips cross over each other, it can cause the beginning skier to lose control and fall. As another example, the front tips may spread apart as the beginning skier traverses a ski slope, causing the beginning skier to do the splits and fall.
Although teaching styles have varied through time and from one ski slope to another, most skiers begin by mastering the snowplow, also known as the wedge, before learning to keep their skis parallel. The snowplow position has the front tips of the skis pointing inward with the back tips of the skis, also known as the tails, spread further apart than the front tips. In this position, the skier tends to lace more weight on the inner edges of the skis, resulting in a controlled descent of the ski slope. In the snowplow position, the angle made between the skis may be useful to control the skier's speed and/or to stop. A relatively wider angle between the skis will traverse the slope slower than a relatively narrower angle between the skis.
One common device for teaching beginning skiers to keep their ski tips together to form a wedge is known as the Edgy Wedgy. The Edgy Wedgy includes a hose with screw clamps on each end. Each screw clamp fastens to a different one of the ski tips with the hose lying between the skis to keep the front tips closer together than the back tips of the skis. Each screw clamp includes a thumbscrew that can be relatively difficult to tighten sufficiently to avoid one or both of the screw clamps inadvertently becoming unfastened from one or both skis. Vibrations and cold weather can also cause the screw clamps to inadvertently become unfastened from the skis.
Other devices for teaching beginning skiers to keep their ski tips together include adhesive strips, hook and loop fasteners, straps and/or buckles. Many of these devices involve an excessive number of components, rendering them expensive, cumbersome, unattractive and/or difficult to operate under winter conditions. Some devices are also limited for use with skis that have one or more apertures formed in the ski tips.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.